Seventeen Again
by thexADVENTURE
Summary: Edward is unhappy with his life. He had everything, but gave it up when his sweet heart, Bella, got pregnant. Now he's almost 40 and would do anything to go back. He's been kicked out of his house, but what if he could have it all over again? Rated M.


**A/N:** I was watching the movie_ Seventeen Again_ and decided that I wanted to write a story based off of it. I have used the movie with my FAVORITE scene in it for this prologue. The dialogue goes to whoever wrote the screenplay, which I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR, but I did put my own words to it and such. Plus, I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT, I just imagined Bella and Edward this way.

Song: The Greatest - Cat Power (also used in the scene during the movie)

* * *

><p>Mike ran the vacuum along the rug in the front area where the door was. All around him was cups and trash from the party that I had planned so that my son could be with the girl he wanted. I had to help him. It was my only shot to get back to where I was before. I get back to my grown body. I sometimes forgot. I especially forgot when I was with Bella, around Bella. Jasper had been my in and I had done everything in my power to keep her. To keep them.<p>

"And finished..with the rug area," said Mike as he stood up and sighed, looking around. "But I think we have made very good progress. We deserve a break." He looked toward me and even in sunglasses; I knew he was staring at my broken soul. I had lost. I had lost everything that was important to me. And the sad part was, it took all of this for me to realize.

"I lost my family," I finally said, unable to contain the thoughts any longer.

"Hey Edward," began Mike, "if it's any consolation, I think you really did help your kids. You did your job and now, the hero can move on."

"But I don't want to. They might not need me, but I need them," I said to him, taking off my Ray Bans and looking around the room.

"I hate to be a buzz kill, but, um, you're due in court in 22 minutes," he said, looking down at his watch and then watching as I stood up.

I was lucky I heard anything he was saying. My mind was coursing. More time. That's what I needed. More time. I stepped down the last step and walked toward him, "Mike, I need more time. I have to stop this."

"To the Mike-mobile!" said Mike as I looked down, grabbing his shoulders before he could walk off.

"Wait, Mike..Mike," I began sighing, "Pants."

Mike looked down and began moving around. "I should have pants on. I should have pants on."

I grabbed my sunglasses out of the nook in my shirt and slid them on as Mike ran upstairs to put on clothes. I met him out in the garage where we climbed into his Lamborghini, which I didn't know why he had one. He just did. He backed out with force and started off only to be stopped by a walk man, allowing kids across.

Mike groaned in frustration, "C'mon, Tyler!" He looked over at me and sighed, "Nothing, but a glorified midget wrangler." Revving his engine, Mike growled and shouted, "You wouldn't be so big without that vest!" He then looked back to me, "You know what? Grab that thing..that's down there."

"Where'd you get this?" I asked as I picked up a police light.

"Just hold it up. Best twenty bucks I ever spent. It saves me like a half hour on my commute."

I turned on the light and held it up as it wailed and watched as Tyler switched the sign from STOP to SLOW and moved out of the way before Mike shot off down the road and toward the freeway.

I finally saw the courthouse in sight as Mike came to an abrupt stop and allowed me to jump out with him.

Mike thrust through the door, "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" I immediately sighed. Fucking Mike. I shook my head as I walked behind him down toward the front of the room where she was. I could smell her.

"What?" barked the judge from where she sat, lowering her glasses.

"I'm sorry; I panicked. It was the first thing that popped into my mind. Your majesty," said Mike as he came to a halt and bowed, causing me to run into his ass. Fuck that looked bad. I shook my head again.

"Who are you?" asked the judge and I was prepared to answer when Bella chimed in.

"That's my husband's best friend."

"You a lawyer, best friend?" asked the judge.

Mike nodded and reached into his back pocket, "Yes."

"No," retorted Bella.

"I believe the law degree in my pocket says so, yes. And it's a little bit smeared because I sat on it in the car, not because I printed it out recently."

The judge took the piece of paper that I'd watched Mike print of and opened it to examine before scoffing and looking back at us. "Let's just pretend that's real. You wanna explain what you're doing here?"

Mike stepped forward and began, "We," before looking back at me and pointing until I nodded and then went back to his speech, "are stopping a GROSS miscarriage of justice. That-"

But that's all he got in. The judge waved and the bailiff stepped forward, grabbing his arm where he relented and then grabbed my arm.

"Okay, if you just let me explain. I can explain this. If you'd just listen- I've got a letter! I've got a letter here! I've got a letter from Edward Cullen. He's the husband in this case!"

"No, I'm sorry, but-" said the judge.

"Your honor, if it's okay, I'd like to hear the letter please," said Bella as she stood up, looking at the judge that sat behind the desk. I could see her fingers trembling at the mere presence of me..or maybe it was because she was scared.

"Thank you, your honor. This is a letter from Edward Cullen. He wanted me to read it," I said as I took a breath. I watched his seventeen-year-old chest rise and fall with nervousness as I looked down at the most beautiful, chocolate eyes I'd ever seen. Bella sat with her legs crossed in a chair next to her attorney, looking at me now. She had no idea of knowing it was me, even though i'd tried. I'd tried so damn hard for her to understand..but she didn't.

Taking a gulp, I slowly unfolded the paper and looked at it before looking back at Bella. My fingers were trembling as I looked at Bella before starting in on the letter. "Bella, before you go through with this, I want to remind you of September 7, 1988. It was the first time that I saw you. You were reading Less Than Zero. You were wearing a Guns N' Roses t-shirt. I'd never seen anything so perfect. I remember thinking that I had to have you or I'd die. Then you whispered that you loved me at the homecoming dance and I felt so peaceful and safe because I knew that no matter what happened from that day on..Nothing could ever be that bad," I whispered as my throat constricted with grief and fear. "Because I had you. And then I grew up and I, uh, I lost my way and I blamed you for my failures. And I know that you think you have to do this, but I don't want you to. But I guess, if I love you, I should let you move on."

That was the hardest thing I'd ever had to say in my life. A single tear ran down the side of my face to which I wiped away.

"Alright son, you need to go now," said the judge. The bailiff placed his hand on my bicep, slowly ushering me toward Mike and up the aisle to the door. I nodded and set the paper down on a box next to the aisle and started up the aisle with Mike. One last look, I promised myself. Slowly, I turned my head and saw her. She was gaping at me, her brown eyes holding astonishment and wonder.

Her eyes held me, capturing my soul as I watched her before opening the door. I didn't know what to do then. I'd lost her. I'd lost them, Jasper and Rosalie. I pictured my kids in my mind and let out a sob as I crawled back into the car with Mike.

"Edward-"

"Just go," I whispered, covering my swollen eyes with my hands as he backed out and started back toward the house. When we arrived there, I grabbed my ball and changed before going out to the driveway and shooting baskets. I needed a release and basketball was the only way I could think. Not to mention this was the only way I could think to be close to them. Close to her.

"I haven't seen you practice this hard since high school," said Mike as I looked up to see him standing at his balcony.

"Yeah, well, if I want to impress these college scouts, then I need to stay focused," I retorted as I shot a three.

"Wait, wait, you're not still trying to get a scholarship, are you?" asked Mike, but I didn't answer. "Be careful, man," he said as he shook his head, "you do not want to get off of the spirit path."

"THERE'S NO PATH, MIKE!" I erupted, grabbing the ball and looking up at him. My eyes were fuming with the fear and loneliness I'd been feeling for so long. It felt scary to actually feel something again. I'd been so damn apathetic that I'd forgotten who I was. "There's no path. I can't do it. I just made it worse for them. My wife is happier. Everyone is happier with me out of the picture, Mike. It's time to move on." With that, I shot my last shot of the night and headed back inside.

Over the weekend that came up, I continued to practice until the moment I knew she wouldn't be home. When the kids wouldn't be there- I couldn't look them in the eye any longer. Living the lie.

I drove over in the Volvo and fixed the back yard like Bella had wanted it to be. To show off her talent. I hanged the lights over the pond that was installed and finished a few of the flowers before grabbing a piece of paper and writing, "I wish I could finish all the things I started. –Edward." And with that, I left my ring. Our ring.

And then I was right back where I started. The gym. Tonight was the night that everything would fall into place. All the scouts were going to be there. My son was going to be there and his sister along with my wife, but I had to forget them. I had to pretend that it was all a lie, no matter how much it hurt.

"Show time."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I hope you like it. If you dont, I'm sorry. Just leave a comment or a PM or something. Anyway, let me know what you think.


End file.
